Heat dissipation device and clip assembly thereof

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipation device includes a heat sink, a positioning member and a wire clip. The heat sink includes a base and a plurality of fins. Two of the fins each form a hook. The positioning member includes a seat and two positioning arms each forming two opposite fingers. A receiving groove is defined under the seat, and a positioning slot is defined through a central portion of the seat. The seat is laterally sandwiched between the two fins and vertically sandwiched between the base and the hooks. Each of the two fins is sandwiched between the two fingers. The wire clip includes a resisting portion forming a protrusion and two clipping arms. The resisting portion rests on the base and is received in the receiving groove. The protrusion is received in the positioning slot.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to heat dissipation devices, and more particularly to a clip assembly which can conveniently mount a heat sink to an electronic component.

2. Description of Related Art

It is widely acknowledged that heat is produced during operations of electronic components such as processors of computers. Therefore, a heat dissipation device such as a heat sink is needed for heat dissipation of the electronic component. In order to keep the heat sink into an intimate contact with the electronic component, a clip such as a retainer or a fastener is generally required. However, the conventional clip needs a special tool during mounting or dismounting of the heat sink, which is not appreciated by users or operators.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a clip assembly to overcome the above-mentioned shortcoming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a heat dissipation device to be mounted on a printed circuit board according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1, taken along line II-II thereof.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1, taken along line III-III thereof.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a positioning member of a clip assembly of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a heat dissipation device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a heat sink 11 and a clip assembly 10. The heat sink 11 is mounted on an electronic component 30 which is mounted on a printed circuit board 20 by the clip assembly 10. The heat sink 11 includes a base 111 and a plurality of pin-shaped fins 112 extending upwardly and perpendicularly from the base 111. The plurality of fins 112 are arranged on the base 111 in rows and columns, thereby defining a plurality of lateral air channels 118 between two adjacent rows of fins 112 and a plurality of longitudinal air channels 119 between two adjacent columns of fins 112, wherein the plurality of longitudinal air channels 119 are perpendicular to the plurality of lateral air channels 118.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, two adjacent columns of the fins 112 are located at a center of the base 111 and oppositely disposed at two lateral sides of the longitudinal air channel 119 a in a center of the base 111. Two central fins 112 a, 112 b at the two adjacent columns of the fins 112 form two opposite triangle-shaped hooks 115, respectively, and the hooks 115 are located above and adjacent to the base 111. The two central fins 112 a, 112 b have a larger width than each of the other fins 112. The hook 115 extends from a lateral surface of the fin 112 a (112 b) into the longitudinal air channel 119 a. Each of the two hooks 115 includes a sloping guiding surface 116 extending downwardly and inwardly from the fin 112 a (112 b) and a step 117 formed at a bottom of the hook 115. The hooks 115 extend from the fins 112 a, 112 b toward each other.

The clip assembly 10 includes a Z-shaped wire clip 12 and a W-shaped positioning member 13. The wire clip 12 is made of a resilient material such that when it is twisted it produces a torsional spring-bias force tending to return to an original shape. The wire clip 12 is a bent wire and includes a longitudinal resisting portion 121, a first clipping arm 122 and a second clipping arm 123. The first clipping arm 122 and the second clipping arm 123 are perpendicular to the resisting portion 121 and extend from two opposite ends of the resisting portion 121 in opposing directions. The resisting portion 121 forms a protrusion 124 by bending a center of the resisting portion 121. A lateral width of the positioning member 13 in a natural state is larger than a width of a gap 130 between the hooks 115. Each of the first clipping arm 122 and the second clipping arm 123 forms a catch 125 at a free end thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4, the positioning member 13 includes a semi-circular seat 131 and two positioning arms 132 symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides of the seat 131. A semi-circular receiving groove 134 is defined under the seat 131 for receiving the resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12 therein. A positioning slot 135 is defined through a central portion of the seat 131 corresponding to the protrusion 124 of the wire clip 12. Thus, the seat 131 has a C-shaped front tab 136 and a C-shaped rear tab 137 formed at two longitudinal ends of the positioning slot 135 for abutting on the resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12. The two positioning arms 132 extend upwardly and outwardly from the two lateral sides of the seat 131. Two fingers 138 extend laterally and outwardly from two longitudinal sides of a top of each of the two positioning arms 132, respectively.

When the heat dissipation device 1 is pre-assembled, the resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12 is received in the receiving groove 134 and the protrusion 124 of the wire clip 12 is inserted into the positioning slot 135 of the positioning member 13. The positioning member 13 is placed in the longitudinal air channel 119 a and the resisting portion 121 is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal air channel 119 a. Then, the positioning member 13 is pushed downwardly together with the wire clip 12 to cause the positioning arms 132 to move downwardly. The guiding surfaces 116 of the hooks 115 guide the positioning arms 132 of the positioning member 13 to slide downwardly. The positioning arms 132 are brought into interaction with the guiding surfaces 116 to cause the positioning arms 132 to contract inwardly toward each other.

Once the positioning arms 132 have passed through the gap 130 between the two hooks 115, the positioning arms 132 elastically restore back to their original state. The two positioning arms 132 laterally resist on the two fins 112 a, 112 b, respectively, whereby the positioning member 13 is laterally sandwiched between the two fins 112 a, 112 b. Each of the two positioning arms 132 is vertically sandwiched between the base 111 and a corresponding hook 115 of one of the two fins 112 a, 112 b whereby the positioning member 13 is vertically sandwiched between the hooks 115 and the base 111. The fin 112 a (112 b) is longitudinally sandwiched between the two fingers 138 of a corresponding positioning arm 132. The resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12 rests on the heat sink 11 and is received in the receiving groove 134 of the seat 131 whereby the wire clip 12 is vertically sandwiched between the seat 131 and the base 111. A blockage of the protrusion 124 by the front tab 136 and the rear tab 137 prevents the wire clip 12 from moving along a longitudinal direction of the resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12.

In assembly of the heat dissipation device 1 onto the printed circuit board 20 (PCB) having the electronic component 30 thereon, the base 111 of the heat sink 11 is placed on the electronic component 30. Then, the first clipping arm 122 is clockwise rotated and the second clipping arm 123 is anti-clockwise rotated whereby the catches 125 of the first clipping arm 122 and the second clipping arm 123 are engaged with a first tab 21 and a second tab 22 of the PCB 20, respectively. A resilient deformation of the wire clip 12 causes the resisting portion 121 of the wire clip 12 to press downwardly the base 111 of the heat sink 11. Therefore, the heat dissipation device 1 is easily and firmly fixed on the electronic component 30 of the PCB 20. Thus, heat generated by the electronic component 30 can be effectively transferred to the heat sink 11.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention. 

1. A heat dissipation device comprising: a heat sink comprising a base and a plurality of fins extending from the base, two fins of the plurality of fins each forming a hook; a positioning member comprising a seat and two positioning arms extending outwardly and upwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the seat, respectively, each of the two positioning arms forming two opposite fingers, a receiving groove being defined under the seat, a positioning slot being defined through a central portion of the seat, the seat being laterally sandwiched between the two fins and vertically sandwiched between the base and the hooks of the two fins, each of the two fins being sandwiched between the two fingers of a corresponding positioning arm; and a wire clip comprising a resisting portion and two clipping arms extending from two opposite ends of the resisting portion, the resisting portion forming a protrusion, the resisting portion resting on the base and being received in the receiving groove of the seat, the protrusion being received in the positioning slot.
 2. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning member is W-shaped.
 3. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two fins defines a channel therebetween, the positioning member is received in the channel, and two C-shaped tabs are formed at two sides of the positioning slot for abutting on the resisting portion of the wire clip.
 4. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resisting portion of the wire clip extends through the channel.
 5. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire clip is Z-shaped, and the two clipping arms are perpendicular to the resisting portion and extend from two opposite ends of the resisting portion in opposing directions.
 6. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two clipping arms forms a catch at a free end thereof.
 7. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hook comprises a guiding surface and a step, the guiding surface extending downwardly and inwardly from a corresponding one of the two fins, and the step being disposed at a bottom side of the hook.
 8. A clip assembly comprising: a positioning member comprising a seat and two positioning arms, the two positioning arms extending outwardly and upwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the seat, respectively, each of the two positioning arms forming two opposite fingers, a receiving groove being defined under the seat, a positioning slot being defined through a central portion of the seat; and a wire clip comprising a resisting portion and two clipping arms extending from two opposite ends of the resisting portion, the resisting portion forming a protrusion, the resisting portion being received in the receiving groove of the seat, the protrusion being received in the positioning slot.
 9. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the positioning member is W-shaped.
 10. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wire clip is Z-shaped, and the two clipping arms are perpendicular to the resisting portion and extend from two opposite ends of the resisting portion in opposing directions.
 11. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the two clipping arms forms a catch at a free end thereof.
 12. The clip assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein two C-shaped tabs are formed at two sides of the positioning slot for abutting on the resisting portion of the wire clip. 